Four student handlers are in charge of Texas’ longhorn mascot Bevo, who Wednesday night was corralled in the southwest corner of Snapdragon Stadium during the Holiday Bowl.

For those keeping track, this is Bevo XIV in the long line of longhorns. Hunter Todd, one of Bevo’s handlers, said the steer’s role was to “stand there, be brave, tough and tall and make sure we get a win.”

Although he would make a good blocking back, Bevo never gets to go on the field.

“I don’t want to run with him,” said Todd, a senior accounting major from Dallas. “He’s definitely quicker than I am.”

This wasn’t Bevo XIV’s first rodeo. He also made the trip to San Diego for the 2007 Holiday Bowl when Texas played Arizona State. Todd said it was a three-day drive here from Austin. Bevo has been staying at a ranch about 35 miles outside San Diego, although the handler wouldn’t be any more specific.

Said Todd: “We don’t tell people where he’s staying, just to make sure he’s safe and secure.”

As if any Cal pranksters could lasso a longhorn.

No shortage of characters

The convergence of influences at Wednesday’s game was most pronounced where the trolley dropped off passengers on the south side the stadium.

As Cal and Texas fans made their way to entrance gates 90 minutes before kickoff, they were greeted — accosted? — by a variety of characters.

There were a dozen believers holding signs with biblical references — from “Fear God” to “Turn From Evil” — including a young woman with a microphone who was cheering for a higher power as opposed to a particular team. “I don’t really care (who wins),” she said.

Free Bible booklets were there for the taking, although business was much more brisk for Cal pompoms.

Several scalpers alternated between buying and selling tickets, depending on one’s needs. It was a buyer’s market, tickets going for substantially less than face value. “Two garbage teams,” complained one seller before excusing himself when he spotted an SDPD car cruising nearby.

Late arrivals to the scene included two members of the Occupy San Diego movement. They were appropriately positioned a short pass away from a parking lot Porta-Potty that, judging by the line outside it, also was occupied.

No cable fan

Cal place-kicker Giorgio Tavecchio faced a bigger challenge in the game from ESPN than the Longhorns.

Tavecchio had to skip rope several times when a hand-held camera — trailed by a long power cord — cut the corner along the Cal sideline where the kicker was warming up in the first quarter.

Moments later, Tavecchio kicked a 42-yard field goal that was waved off because of a penalty. The ball was moved back 5 yards. Tavecchio then was iced by TV commercials, waiting several minutes to re-kick. No matter. He still made the 47-yarder — the longest in Cal bowl history — with a couple of yards to spare.

Imagine that

Support outside the stadium was overwhelming in favor of Cal, with California license plates in the parking lot outnumbering Texas plates at least 1,000 to 1.

Stars and stripes

Not everything is bigger in Texas.

A Texas state flag stretched from the back of the east end zone out to the 15-yard line as “The Eyes of Texas” was played by the Longhorns band 20 minutes before kickoff.

The flag seemed pretty puny a few moments later when the Holiday Bowl’s “Big Flag” was unfurled by several hundred servicemen before the national anthem. The bowl’s American flag is something to see, covering the entire field.

Thanks for coming out

The Holiday Bowl built its reputation on fantastic finishes, but when Texas took an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter many of those in attendance determined there would be no Cal comeback. They were right.

Fans — mostly wearing Cal colors — headed for the exits in droves with 12 minutes remaining in the game. All roads out of the stadium were choked with cars shortly thereafter.

They missed one last rendition of “The Eyes of Texas.”

Although they were probably still stuck in the parking lot a few hours later when Snapdragon turned back into Qualcomm Stadium.